Wednesday, January 27, 2010

City Budget Ax Wielded By Unsteady Hands!

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Responding to the impending city budget shortfall the Corpus Christi City Council announced a series of draconian budget cuts reducing money for road repairs(what a joke considering the condition of our city's roads!)ending city park maintenance on already neglected city parks, cutting city jobs, cutting city employee pay, that is abysmally low already, by requiring employees to pay a higher percentage of their health insurance premiums,ending the city re-cycling program and other items.
Needless to say there was a loud, negative response.
Senior citizens ambushed Mayor Joe Adame and other city council members and made known their opposition to losing their senior centers and school children protested the closing of the re-cycling program.
The council quickly back tracked on some of these items but it is extremely telling of the priorities of this council and this mayor.
An article in the Caller/Times recently mentioned a $30 million plus "slush" fund being held back to pay out to companies in the hope of creating jobs. Many of these proposals were highly dubious and the idea of giving hundreds of thousands of dollars of city money to wealthy developers and businesses while cutting employees pay and benefits and closing and reducing vital services is embarrassing at the least.
The Port of Corpus Christi has been handing out their commissioners hefty pay raises and bonuses. Maybe some of that money should go to the City of Corpus Christi, the counties of Nueces and San Patricio for rent payment since the port is so profitable. Presently the Port is running an expensive propaganda TV ad campaign to try to improve their tawdry image.
As usual, something smells in city government.

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